The Diocese of Ely is deeply saddened by the news of the fire at St Mary the Virgin Church, Beachamwell. Our prayers are now with the local community and those that loved and cared for this glorious place of worship and prayer.
The Ven Hugh McCurdy, Archdeacon of Huntingdon and Wisbech, says:
“The community will understandably be devastated by the damage caused to the ancient and beautiful St Mary the Virgin Church. We must now await further investigation as to the cause of the fire, and we are so thankful that no one appears to have been harmed. In the coming days, once the area has been made safe, we will be able to understand further the full extent of the damage. We are so grateful to the brave fire crews who tackled the blaze and that when the alarm was raised they were able to respond so quickly”.
The Revd Dr Ian Mack, Assistant Curate in The Wissey Valley Benefice in which St Mary the Virgin Church is located, added;
“This is terrible news and will sadden the whole community, many of whom will have lasting memories of significant life moments at St Mary’s. As a community we will now come together in prayer and worship in the neighbouring churches, as we begin to understand the full impact of the fire damage and what we now need to do in the coming weeks and months”.